Amma magala kitchen: Khara Shankarpali

Another childhood favorite :) Not only do I enjoy these savoury crispies but love it when mom makes them as the whole house has this beautiful aroma :)
Here's mum's version of the savoury shankarpole. She does a sweet version of this as well but that's for some other time :)

Ingredients:

Plain flour / Maida: 3 cups
Whole wheat flour / Atta: 1 cup
Carum seeds / Ajwain seeds: 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds / Jeera: 1/2 tbsp
Dry Red chili: 5
Butter: 1 tbsp
Water
Salt
Oil

Method:
1) Take 1 tbsp of plain flour and mix with butter for 5 minutes. Mom calls this saati. Don't know its english equivalent.
2) Add 2 tbsp oil (heated) along with rest of flour and mix for 2 to 3 minutes. The flour becomes crumbly.
3) Mix this with saati and knead for 2 to 3 minutes.
4) Dry roast Ajwain seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chili. Once cool, grind it into fine powder and mix with above.
5) Add water, 1/2 tbsp salt and knead it into a dough.
6) Make balls of the dough and roll it into a circle like chapathi. The thickness should be like that of a puri.
7) Cut it into diamond shape.
8) Heat oil on medium, and deep fry the Shankarpole until it turns golden brown. Remove and place it in a container lined with tissue paper.
9) Do the same with the remaining dough
10) Once cool, transfer it into an air tight container
DONE!!!

Amma Magala Kitchen: Onion Pakoda

Although I have been food blogging for over 4 years now, most of my recipes are inspired by friends or internet. Amma is easily my favorite cook and yet I did not know how to make her signature dishes as I hardly entered the kitchen when I was in India :) 

Now that amma is here, and I am on maternity leave, the time is ripe to learn some of her time tested delicious recipes that Nikki and I craved for. 

The next 3 to 4 months, I intend to get amma to make some of my childhood favorites and blog about it in the Amma Magala Kitchen Series :)

Onion pakoda is one of my favorite snacks. Although deep fried, it does not retain as much oil as a bonda would. Also, it stays fresh and crisp for days making it ideal for dinner parties where you are preparing a number of dishes and would like to get started a day or two earlier. 

Ingredients:

1 cup refined flour / maida

1/2 cup chickpea flour / besan

1/4 cup rice flour

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp ajwain powder

Pinch of asafoetida

1 onion: thinly sliced along length

2-3 curry leaves spring - finely chopped

1-2 tsp red chili powder

Salt

Oil 

Water

Method:

1. Mix all of the above ingredients (except oil, water and salt). Heat 2 tbsp oil and add it and mix once cool.

2, Mix ingredients to a thick paste with little water. Check for salt.

3. Heat oil for deep frying. Once hot enough, scoop out a teaspoon of batter and drop it into the oil. Depending on the size of the pan, you can drop in a few more pakodas.

4. Remove once the pakodas start to turn golden brown and place it on a paper towel. Repeat the same for remining batter

DONE!!!